2004 Acura MDX traction control

The Vehicle Stability Assist system
helps to stabilize the vehicle during
cornering if the vehicle turns more
or less than desired. It also assists
you in maintaining traction while
accelerating on loose or slippery
road surf aces. It does this by
regulating the engine’s output, and
by selectively applying the brakes.
When VSA activates, you may notice
that the engine does not respond to
the accelerator in the same way it
does at other times.
The VSA system cannot enhance the
vehicle’s driving stability in all
situations and does not control your
vehicle’s entire braking system. It is
still your responsibility to drive and
corner at reasonable speeds and to
leave a sufficient margin of safety.When VSA activates, you will see the
VSA Activation indicator blink.
If the VSA system indicator comes
on while driving, pull to the side of
theroadwhenitissafe,andturnoff
the engine. Reset the system by
restarting the engine. If the VSA
system indicator stays on, or comes
back on while driving, have the VSA
system inspected by an Acura dealer.
CONT INUED
VSA A ctivation Indicator
VSA System Indicator
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) System
Driving183

The weight that the tongue of a f ully
loaded trailer puts on the hitch
shouldbe5to10percentof thetotal
trailer weight f or boat trailers, and 8
to 15 percent of total trailer weight
f or all other trailers. See page f or
limits f or your towing situation.Too much tongue load reduces f ront-
tire traction and steering control.
Too little tongue load can make the
trailer unstable and cause it to sway.
Park the vehicle on level ground.
Measure and record the distance
from the ground to the bottom of
the trailer hitch.
Connect the f ully loaded trailer to
the hitch.
Measure again f rom the ground to
the same spot on the bottom of the
hitch.
Subtract the second measurement
f rom the f irst measurement. Ref er
to Fig. 1. If thedifferenceis:
1 ½’’ = 150 lbs (68 kg)
2 ¼’’ = 250 lbs (114 kg)3’’ = 350 lbs (159 kg)
3 ¾’’ = 450 lbs (204 kg) 4’’ = over 450 lbs (204 kg)
If thedifferenceismorethan4’’
you have too much tongue load
at the rear. Move or remove
cargo f rom the trailer and the
vehicle, and measure again.
If the estimated trailer weight and
tongue load do not exceed the limits,
drive your trailer to a public scale
f ully loaded with all occupants and
cargo you plan to take on the road.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
187
Tongue Load To Estimate the Tongue Load
Fig.1
Towing Weight Limits
Driving186

Thediagramsinthissectiongive
you the dimensions and capacities of
your Acura, and the locations of the
identif ication numbers. It also
includes inf ormation you should
know about your vehicle’s tires and
emissions control systems.................
Identif ication Numbers . 252
................................
Specif ications .254
..........
DOT Tire Quality Grading . 256
Unif orm Tire Quality ..................................
Grading .256
.................................
Treadwear .256
......................................
Traction .256
.............................
Temperature .257
.................................
Tire Labeling .258 .......................
Emissions Controls .259
.....................
The Clean Air Act .259
Crankcase Emissions Control ....................................
System .259
Evaporative Emissions Control ....................................
System .259
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor ................................
Recovery .259
...
Exhaust Emissions Controls . 260
....................
PGM-FI System .260
Ignition Timing Control ................................
System .260
Exhaust Gas Recirculation ...................
(EGR) System . 260
Three Way Catalytic ...........................
Converter .260
....................
Replacement Parts . 260
..
Three Way Catalytic Converter . 261
..............
State Emissions Testing . 262
T echnical Inf ormat ion
T echnical Inf ormation251

µ
The tires on your vehicle meet all
U.S. Federal Saf ety Requirements.
All tires are also graded f or
treadwear, traction, and temperature
perf ormance according to
Department of Transportation
(DOT) standards. The f ollowing
explains these gradings.
Quality grades can be f ound where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between the tread shoulder and the
maximum section width. For
example:
All passenger vehicle tires must
conf orm to Federal Saf ety
Requirements in addition to these
grades. The treadwear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specif ied government
test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and one-
half (1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded
100. The relative perf ormance of
tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may
depart signif icantly f rom the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices, and dif f erences in
road characteristics and climate.
The traction grades, f rom highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those
grades represent the tire’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on
specif ied government test surf aces
of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
perf ormance.
Warning: The traction grade
assignedtothistireisbasedon
straight-ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
Unif orm T ire Quality Grading
T readwear 200
Traction AA
Temperature A Treadwear
Traction AA, A, B, C
T echnical Inf ormation
DOT T ire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles)
256